Electronic device

ABSTRACT

An electronic device has several superposed main printed circuit boards ( 2, 3, 4 ), of which one has e.g. the electronic components of a radio, another has the electronic components of a multimedia device and a third has the electronic components of a vehicle navigation device. On the front side of the electronic device, a connection printed circuit board ( 9 ) which is oriented crosswise to the main printed circuit boards ( 2, 3, 4 ) is provided with plug-in connecting parts ( 11, 13, 15 ) which engage on the front side of the main circuit boards ( 2, 3, 4 ).

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority toPCT/DE01/04094, filed Nov. 1, 2001, and published in the Germanlanguage, which claims priority to German Application No. 10054589.0,filed Nov. 3, 2000.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to an electronic device having several mainboards arranged on top of or adjacent to one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Electronic devices of the aforementioned type are, for example,provided in today's motor vehicles and are therefore known in the art.As a signal exchange normally takes place between the individual mainboards, it is necessary to electrically connect the boards to oneanother. In the devices known in the art, this is accomplished byproviding pin-and-socket connectors on the front sides, so that thenecessary connections between the main boards can be established bymeans of electrical wiring. However, establishing these connections ishighly labor-intensive and is associated with the risk of individualpin-and-socket connections being inadvertently omitted, therebyrendering the device inoperable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to one embodiment of the invention, this problem issolved in that a connecting board oriented at right angles to the mainboards and having additional pin-and-socket connectors, which engage therespective pin-and-socket connector of the main boards, is provided onthe front side of the electronic device.

[0005] As a result of this design of the electronic device, it is onlynecessary, following assembly of the main boards, to mount theconnecting board and its pin-and-socket connectors onto the main boardsfrom the front, so as to establish the necessary connections among themain boards. This eliminates the need to establish the necessaryelectrical connections individually and sequentially by closingpin-and-socket connections between the individual main boards, so thatthe electronic device of the invention can be assembled more quicklythan the devices known in the art, thereby automatically ensuring thatall electrical connections are closed.

[0006] The electrical connections can be closed concurrently with theassembly of the front plate if, according to a further development ofthe invention, the connecting board is provided on a front plate of theelectronic device that features control elements.

[0007] Alternatively, however, it is also possible to provide theconnecting board with at least one pin-and-socket connector, on its sidefacing the front board, for purposes of connecting it to a secondaryboard in the front plate.

[0008] In addition to its current distribution function, the connectingboard can also provide the function of a printed circuit board, in thatthe connecting board constitutes a secondary board as a result ofelectronic components arranged on it.

[0009] Since, due to production tolerances, the pin-and-socketconnectors of the main board will not always be aligned with thepin-and-socket connectors of the connecting board, it is advantageous toprovide for the possibility of tolerance adjustment. This can beaccomplished very easily in that the pin-and-socket connectors of theconnecting board and/or the main boards are arranged to be displaceable,to a limited extent, at right angles to the direction of insertion. Suchpin-and-socket connectors are commercially available under the nameboard-to-board connectors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The invention allows for various embodiments. To furtherillustrate its basic principle, one of these embodiments is depicted inthe drawing, and is described in the following.

[0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a housing of an electronic device with threemain boards arranged on top of one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012]FIG. 1 illustrates a housing 1 of an electronic device, with threemain boards 2, 3, 4 being arranged on top of one another within saidhousing. The lowermost main board 2 can, for example, carry theelectronic components of a radio, the center main board 3, theelectronic components of a multimedia device, and the upper main board4, the electronic components of a vehicle navigation system.

[0013] The housing 1 can be closed with a front plate 5 depicted infront of its front face. The front plate features control elements 6, 7for the individual features of the device, and has in its interior asecondary board 8. On the side facing the front side of the housing 1,the front plate features a connecting board 9.

[0014] In the invention, the individual main boards 2, 3, 4, on theirfront side, and the connecting board 9, on its side facing the housing1, have pin-and-socket connectors 10 to 15, wherein, during mounting ofthe front plate 5, the pin-and-socket connectors 11, 13, 15 of the frontplate 5 enter the pin-and-socket connectors 10, 12, 14 of the mainboards 2, 3, 4, thereby establishing electrical connections among themain boards 2, 3, 4 via the connecting board 9.

[0015] In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the connecting board 9 isconnected to the secondary board 8 via a pin-and-socket connection 16.However, it is also possible to dispense with the secondary board 8 andto dispose the electronic components to be arranged thereon on theconnecting board 9.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: main boardsarranged on top of one another or adjacent to one another, each of whichincludes a pin-and-socket connector arranged on a front side forelectrically connecting the boards; and a connecting board oriented atright angles to the main boards and having additional pin-and-socketconnectors which engage the respective pin-and-socket connector of themain boards and is provided on the front side of the electronic device.2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the connectingboard is provided on the front plate of the electronic device thatfeatures control elements.
 3. The electronic device according to claim1, wherein the connecting board is provided with at least onepin-and-socket connector, on a side facing the front board to connect toa secondary board in the front plate.
 4. The electronic device accordingto claim, wherein the connecting board constitutes a secondary board asa result of electronic components arranged thereon.
 5. The electronicdevice according to claim 1, wherein the pin-and-socket connectors ofthe connecting board and/or of the main boards are arranged to bedisplaceable at right angles to the direction of insertion.